262 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
required that minute, patient, and laborious investigation, in 
which he seemed so especially to delight. Only two authors, 
Dalman and Spinola, had preceded him in devoting their 
- attention to the structure of these atoms of creation; and 
even these two had described comparatively a very small 
number of species. 
In 1834 Mr. Walker, somewhat reluctantly, consented to 
undertake the editorial management of the ‘ Entomological 
Magazine, and resigned this office the following year, yet 
continued a constant contributor to its pages. The same 
year he visited Lapland, in company with two of our most 
distinguished botanists ; and in this extreme north of Europe, 
and especially at Alten and Hammerfest, he assiduously 
collected insects, more particularly the northern Diptera, 
the Satyride among Lepidoptera, and the Chalcidide 
amongst Hymenoptera. During this journey we have the 
first and only notice of his prowess as a sportsman: he shot 
willow grouse and ptarmigan; and on one solitary occasion 
was accessory to the death of a reindeer; but as other rifles 
besides his own were simultaneously discharged, it is difficult 
to say whose was the effective bullet. J am glad to be able 
to record that Mr. Walker declined to give the poor creature 
the coup de grace, and, for this especial purpose, resigned to 
another his couteaw de chasse. 
In May, 1840, he married Mary Elizabeth, the eldest 
daughter of Mr. Ford, of Ellell Hall, near Lancaster, and 
spent the summer on the Continent, again collecting in 
Switzerland with his customary assiduity. 
In 1848 he explored the Isle of Thanet, the following year 
the Isle of Wight, and succeeding years, 1850 and 1851, he 
visited Geneva and Interlachen; and during the former year 
commenced his great work on Diptera. This formed part of 
a projected series of works on British insects, to be called 
‘Insecta Britannica,’ a project in which the late Mr. Spence 
took a deep interest. 
During the year 1851 was published the first volume of 
the ‘ Diptera.’ This work is printed in 8vo, and contained 
314 pages; the second volume appeared in 1853, and con- 
tained 298 pages ; and the third volume in 1856, and contained 
352 pages. Thus the entire work comprised nearly 1000 
pages of closely-printed descriptions. 
Another tour on the continent occupied a considerable 
